Waltham residents riding in PMC

Tuesday

Jul 22, 2014 at 10:00 AM

On Aug. 2 and 3, 17 residents from Waltham will participate in the 35th annual Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the largest single athletic fundraising event in the country. They will be among 5,800 cyclists who will ride with the collective goal of raising $40 million to support adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund.Cyclists range in age from 13 to 90. Some are seasoned triathletes while others are weekend warriors having trained for this event alone, organizers said.The Waltham residents riding are Laurel Ainslie, William Baldwin, Dave Chused, Bernard Despres, Jason Despres, Alice Hunter, Peter Iodice, Tracy Jolles, Kathy Luppy, Rick Luppy, Michael Mola, S. Jamie Rudavsky, Robert Schulein, Joshua Smith, Andrew Starr, Thomas Travison and Brian Yoon.Many participants ride in honor of a family member or friend lost to, or being treated for, cancer. The average cyclist trains for three months, solicits 40 sponsors, and raises more than $6,500. Doctors ride alongside their patients, grandparents ride with their grandchildren, and others show support from the sidelines in the form of donations and cheers. More than 300 riders are cancer survivors or current patients."The PMC is the gold standard of athletic fundraising events," said Billy Starr, Pan-Mass Challenge founder and executive director. "PMCers are as committed to raising money for cancer research as they are to pedaling the miles."Since 1980, the PMC has raised more than $414 million. In 2013, the PMC was Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor and the event raises more than 50 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue, organizers said. More than 230,000 individual contributions were made to last year’s PMC fundraising campaign, allowing the PMC to contribute 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the Jimmy Fund.The PMC is a fully supported bike-a-thon – with food and water stops, mechanical and medical assistance, luggage transportation and lodging – that runs through 46 towns across Massachusetts. Cyclists choose from 12 routes of varying mileage designed to cater to all levels of cycling strength and time availability. There are six two-day routes that range from 132 to 190 miles and six one-day rides that range from 25 to 111 miles.In 2014, cyclists are required to raise between $500 and $4,300 to ride in the PMC.The PMC is presented by the Red Sox Foundation and the New Balance Foundation. To become a virtual rider or make a financial contribution, visit www.pmc.org or call 800-WE-CYCLE.